Author(s): Davide Wuthrich; Ioan Nistor
Linked Author(s): Ioan Nistor, Davide Wüthrich
Keywords: Debris motion Tsunami Dam-break wave Hydraulic Engineering Coastal Engineering
Abstract: The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, particularly along coastlines, requires improved protection and mitigation strategies to reduce damage to critical infrastructure and human loss. This study addresses a gap in understanding the incipient motion of negatively buoyant debris (e. g., boulders, concrete blocks) during extreme events, such as tsunami inundations and storm surges. New experiments simulated these extreme events using dam-break waves and the authors investigated the motion of negatively buoyant debris under various flow conditions. A dataset comprising over 50 test configurations was collected, using debris with dry densities ranging from 1,300 to 2,200 kg/m3. Key wave characteristics were recorded using an Ultra-High-Speed video camera capturing the initial stage of the debris motion at 5,000 fps. The results provide valuable insights into the physical processes that drive incipient debris motion, offering a foundation for optimizing debris management strategies in coastal areas vulnerable to extreme events.
Year: 2025